This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to an electrical connector assembly for mounting to a panel through an opening in the panel where the other end of the connector is mountable on a printed circuit board.
A typical electrical connector includes some form of insulating or dielectric housing mounting a plurality of terminals. The connector may be used in a wide range of electrical connection environments. For instance, the connector may be mounted on a printed circuit board for electrical connection to circuit traces on the board. The connector may be mounted to and through an opening in a panel from one side of the panel for mating with a complementary mating connector on an opposite side of the panel.
With such applications as described above, some form of mounting means typically must be provided for mounting the connector to the printed circuit board. Additional mounting means typically must be provided for mounting the connector through the opening in the panel. Still additional latching means must be provided on the connector for engagement by fasteners or other latches to hold the connector in the opening in the panel. Yet further latching means may be provided for latching the connector to the complementary mating connector. All of these functions and various mounting and/or latching means typically are separate components and unduly complicate the manufacturability and assembly of the connector. The present invention is directed to solving those problems by providing a unique multi-function mounting/latch component which performs a first function of mounting the connector to a printed circuit board, a second function of mounting the connector to the multi-function component, a third function of facilitating latching the connector in position in the panel and a fourth function of latching the connector to a mating connector.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector assembly which includes a multi-function mounting/latch component which is effective to eliminate multiple components typically required in prior art connectors of the character described.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, a connector housing is adapted for mounting through an opening in a panel from a first side thereof, the housing carrying a plurality of conductive terminals. A multi-function mounting/latch component includes first means for mounting the connector housing on a circuit board, second means for mounting the connector housing at the first side of the panel to the multi-function component and through the opening in the panel, and third means extending through the opening to a second side of the panel. Locking means are engageable with the third means at the second side of the panel to hold the connector assembly to the panel. The component includes a means for latching the connector to a mating connector at the second side of the panel.
According to one aspect of the invention, the first means is provided by at least one mounting boss on the multi-function component. The mounting boss receives an appropriate fastener for securing the multi-function component to the circuit board.
According to another aspect of the invention, the second means includes at least one mounting post on one of the housing or the multi-function component insertable into a mounting aperture in the other of the housing or multi-function component. As disclosed herein, the second means includes a plurality of the mounting posts on the housing insertable into a corresponding plurality of mounting apertures in the multi-function component.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the third means includes a latch arm projecting from the multi-function component through the panel. The locking means is engageable with the latch arm. The latch arm includes a plurality of latching serrations engageable by the latch means to accommodate panels of varying thicknesses. As disclosed herein, the multi-function component is elongated and includes a pair of the latch arms at opposite ends thereof. The locking means is provided by a thin locking plate snappingly engageable with the serrations of the latch arms. The latch arms include the fourth means for latching to the mating connector.